May 16 – Daily Notes – Amanda

You know when a little kids tells you he’s Batman? It’s cute, but you know he’s actually not and you just play along with it. Well…this is pretty much exactly the opposite thing that happens with Jesus in today’s John reading. He calls himself “I am” and says he came before Abraham, the original, and highly lauded patriarch. The religious leaders did NOT think it was cute and did not go along with it…but it was true. He truly was “I am”.

1 Samuel 18:5-19:24:

7-9 – David’s success pleased Saul until it threatened his own.

10-11 – The first, but not last, time Saul tries to injure or kill David.

16 – David “went out and came in before them” meaning he led them in battle. He did not hide behind, but led them with courage. This built trust and affection for him.

20-29 – Saul thought that he could set David up for failure and possibly death by sending him to battle Philistines in order to win his daughter as a wife. Instead, David succeeded in the mission and received Saul’s daughter as a wife.

1-7 – Jonathan took a large risk in speaking favorably about David to Saul, his father. Saul had tried to injure and kill David previously.

8-10 – David’s favor with Saul was short-lived and he was forced to flee again when Saul tried to injure him again.

John 8:31-59:

34-36 – Being a slave to sin means that it has power over you and controls you. Sin is that powerful. When we allow it into our lives and takes power over us. Jesus is the only one who can free us from this slavery.

42-43 – Jesus is much more open in the gospel of John about his relationship to God – specifically, father/son.

52-53 – The Jews held Abraham in such high esteem that it was impossible for them to view this man from Nazareth as greater than Abraham.

58 – Jesus refers to himself here as “I am” which is what God referred to himself as when Moses asked who, should I tell the Pharaoh, sent me. This makes the Jews mad and further solidifies that he is the Son of God.

Psalm 112:1-10:

This psalm describes someone who is living a righteous, upright life. The key component to all the greatness is fearing God and following his commands. This is reiterated throughout Scripture.

Proverbs 15:12-14:

When we are already steeped in sin, we often avoid those who are wise or righteous because we don’t want to be called out and have to abandon our sin. This behavior becomes a deeper and deeper hole we dig for ourselves.